Leaf's Shadow
by Greg Me Myself and I
Summary: It is said that a leaf has a 'sun side' and a 'shadow side'. What is Konoha's Shadow, and what has Naruto got to do with it?
1. Introduction

**Disclaimer:** Three loud booms ring out, and the curtain goes up amidst a round of applause.

Kakashi, in a bright pink tutu, face mask and Hitai-ate in their usual positions, cross-capers onstage from the right wing, a disturbing blush coloring what's visible of his face, amidst chirping crickets.

He gives a one-eyed happy smile at the audience.

There is a commotion from stage-left, and Gai comes onstage in a manner similar to Kakashi's, though on his hands.

"BWAHAHAHA!! THE POWER OF YOUTH IS INCREDIBLE!!! THIS TIME, I SHALL OUTSHINE YOU FOR SURE KAKASHI!!!!"

"Hmm?" The addressee replies disinterestedly "You say something?"

A look of utter shock and defeat affixes itself to the face of the 'Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha', but before the situation can get further off-track, a thick scroll of paper rolls out of the prompt-box.

Kakashi peers at it lazily, then kicks it towards Gai who is still standing on his hands. That worthy one attempts to catch it as it goes past, but overbalances and teeters off to the left, desperately trying to catch his balance again. Given the clattering that sounds out, and the cat yowling, we'll have to assume he failed.

Kakashi's eye smiles. "The Author owns nothing except his own original concepts. Please don't sue, as you'd be wasting your time only to acquire the residents of the ant colony that moved in recently next to his room."

_::eye twitches:: What is it with you, and pink tutu disclaimers?_

What? I think it's funny!

_You're seriously messed up, you know that?_

::Grinning brightly:: And proud of it!

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**A/N:**This thing has been going through me head for quite a while and, as I've just been thrown out of my Uni course and am currently looking for an alternative, I found myself with some time to kill, so I though, 'why not?', and here's the result.

_I find myself wishing they **hadn't** thrown you out._

::blows a raspberry:: Anyway, read and enjoy!

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**Code-o-rama**:

Blah: narration

_Blah_: slight emphasis

**Blah**: heavy emphasis

"Blah": speaking

'_Blah'_: thoughts / mental speech (we'll trust you to tell 'em apart)

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Night had fallen, the moon obscured by banks of clouds, but he was beyond caring. He had failed. Failed at his academy test. Now he could never become a genin, and the road to the Hokage title was barred from him, he knew it! Whatever Iruka-sensei had been about to say there was no doubt in his young ten-year old mind: those who failed their genin test never became ninjas.

Those were the thoughts that circled round and round within one Uzumaki Naruto's mind. A young boy of forty-two seasons with messy golden hair, held back by a pair of goggles in lieu of a headband, three whisker-like scars on each of his cheeks, clothes an eye-jarring orange, and eyes a most beautiful shade of baby blue. Though, at present, that last was hard to see since they were shut tightly, tears streaming from the sides.

Earlier that day, he had taken the test to be promoted to the rank of genin, the lowest rank of the Hidden Leaf Village's corps of ninjas. Joining the ranks also meant a salary, as well as a modicum of recognition from the villagers, seeing as the sale of the services of its ninjas was the village's main income source. Thus, being a ninja was tantamount to being a major economic player, hence the respect.

All that had gone down the drain for this particular student, though, when the subject of his practical exam was revealed: Bunshin. His worst jutsu, and his teacher knew that perfectly well! Even worse, the other examiner had crossed him off the sheet the very moment he entered the examination room, barely sparing him a disdainful look before looking out the window, not even bothering to see how well, or poorly, he did at the Clone Jutsu.

That was when Naruto realised the stark truth of the matter: No matter what Iruka-sensei said, all the examiners treated him the same as the villagers did, rejecting him out of hand. And it wasn't **fair**!

So miserable was he, that he didn't notice a person come up behind him until a hand was placed comfortingly on his shoulder. At that point he jumped in alarm and, since such a gesture had more often than not preceded the infliction of pain, he lashed out

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"NO! YOU CAN'T JUST COME TO SEE HOKAGE-SAMA LIKE THAT WITHOUT A VALID REASON-"

His secretary's tirade was abruptly cut off, and Sarutobi, lord Hokage the Third, let out a long-suffering sigh. The girl was diligent in her work, of that there was no doubt, but sometimes she just overstepped her boundaries. Case in point.

The doors to his office swung open, held by his two personal guards who, unlike his secretary, could perceive the peculiarities of this most unusual supplicant. In strode a greying man of advanced years, dressed as a chef. In fact, that's exactly what he was—on the surface, that is.

"Ichiraku-han(1)." Sandaime greeted politely, with a drop of his head towards the squinty-eyed man.

"Sarutobi-san," greeted back the proprietor and cook of the Ichiraku Noodle Bar, ignoring the secretary's outraged cries at the show of familiarity, "I believe you may already may have an inkling as to why I am here..."

"Indeed." The leader of Hidden Leaf Village agreed gravely. He then motioned the guards to close the doors, cutting off any further protests his secretary might have made.

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His fist, however, was caught in a strong, yet gentle grip. Naruto blinked in surprise at this, as any one who attacked him without provocation usually did so when drunk beyond any fighting prowess.

His 'attacker' took advantage of this opportunity.

"Please calm down, Naruto-kun. I am not here to hurt you." The soft, feminine voice said. A voice that the boy thought he recognized, but couldn't quite place.

"Who... are you?" he questioned carefully, his grief and tears forgotten for the moment. It was at that point that the moon reappeared in the sky, and light fell across the face in front of him. "Ah!" he cried out in sudden recognition, "Ichiraku no onee-san?!"

The serving girl of the Ichiraku Noodle Bar, his favorite hang-out in all of Konoha, smiled back brightly at him, nodding her head yes. "Now why don't you tell Aya-nee(2) what's the matter?" she asked him warmly, and seemed to ready herself to absorb the impact of a weight.

Naruto's eyes teared up again, and he let himself fall forward into the older girl's open embrace, bawling his little heart out.

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"Sarutobi-san," the Ichiraku chef, once seated, began, "up to now, _She_ has been willing to put up with the situation. For Yondaime's sake." He paused to look meaningfully at the aged Hokage. "However, even you must agree that the people's perception of the boy has been anything but what your successor hoped for."

A sad look entered the red-robed man's eyes. "That is so." He agreed diffidently, then paused. He sighed heavily, as if in defeat, then asked a question he feared he already knew the answer to. "Then _She_ wishes to take him in?"

The man across from him nodded in acquiescense. "He has a legacy to live up to, after all. If none here is willing to help tutor him, there certainly won't be any lack of volunteers **there**. In fact," he went on in a lighter tone, "I believe my grandaughter will be amongst the first to claim the honor."

"Is this truly wise?" the Three Legendary Sennin's former teacher asked, in a last-ditch effort.

"You know it is." The Ichiraku owner replied, somber once again, "It would only have been a matter of time before someone **not** drunk attempted something. Oh, yes," he went on, leaning forward in his seat as the Protector of Konoha stiffened, "don't think I hadn't noticed. It may not be the case to those who follow you, but to us, Naruto is a most precious child. And _we_ don't intend to leave him to your people's tender mercies any longer." He straightened again. "We will take him with us tonight." He conluded.

"So soon?!"

"Hai. Too much time has been lost already." The aged owner of Ichiraku stood up, "His formation shoud be completed within two years' time. It will then be up to him which Genin group he will join, yours or... ours." He dipped his head. "Good evening to you, Sarutobi-san."

The Hokage did not get up, nor reciprocate the partial bow. "And to you, Ichiraku-han."

His visitor merely raised an eyebrow at the discourtesy, then let himself out the doors, much to the startlement of the secretary who had obviously been staying in the hall all through the interview.

"Hokage-sama?" She questioned. He shook his head slowly in answer, and she turned back to her desk as the guards closed the double doors once again.

The man wearing the title of 'Fire Shadow' gazed sorrowfully at the fourth portrait hanging on the wall to his left.

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"Sooo... Where're we going exactly Oyaji?"

"Please, Naruto, call me Teuchi-jii(3). Being called Oyaji makes me feel old..."

"Newsflash, granpa: You **are** old!"

"Bah! Youngsters these days! You get no respect..."

Naruto laughed heartily as the owner of the Ichiraku Noodle Bar, his second Favorite-Person-In-The-World after Iruka-sensei, mock-griped at the supposed slight.

After he had gotten through his long-delayed bout of crying into a friendly shoulder (delayed by the lack of such a shoulder that is), Aya-nee—the name came surprisingly easily to his lips—had led him back to the noodle bar where her grandfather had been waiting for them. From there, he had been led inside the building, into the living area, whereupon the old man had twisted a light fixture in a precise-looking way , stepped back, and executed a rapid series of hand seals. Naruto didn't even have the time to wonder at the aged chef's knowledge of hand-seals before a section of the raised wooden floor moved aside to reveal a steel trapdoor with all sorts of seals engraved upon it.

Again, the old man made a set of hand-seals, and this time, as he made and held the last seal, some kind of dark matter oozed out of his hands and ran along the grooves of the seals on the door, which seemed to suck it in, before opening silently.

Which brought Naruto to where he was now, following the old man along a glow-moss-lit declining tunnel, Aya-nee bringing up the rear. Running water could be perceived just on the edge of hearing. And he had an unanswered question.

"Where **are** we going, Teuchi-jii?" He figured humouring the old man bettered the odds of obtaining an answer.

"To see my sister."was the mysterious answer from up-front.

"Who's she then?" The hyperactive blond asked curiously.

For all answer he got a chuckle.

He was about to ask again when they came to a sharp bend in the tunnel, and as he turned after the old man the sound of water resolved itself into that of a waterfall as the tunnel abruptly ended inside a humongous cavern.

As Naruto, slack-jawed, looked upon the cavern littered with dwellings of all sizes, yes even gigantic mansions not unlike that of the Uchiha or the Hyuuga, the old man gestured expansively.

"Welcome, Naruto, to Hidden Root Village. Your home."

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(1) From "Peace Maker Kurogane", I've gathered that the suffix '-han' is the way to adress an individual by the name of the business they own.

(2) Contraction of 'Ayame (the girl's name) Onee-chan'. Litterally, 'big sis Ayame'. credit goes to Rokudaime: aksarah . com / naruto / (just take the spaces out)

(3) Uncle Teuchi (his name, if you couldn't guess); credit, again, goes to Rokudaime.

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Liked it? Didn't like it? Well, click that little 'Go' button down there and tell me about it.

_Side-note: We just might need a beta-reader, though **some**one's too proud to admit it._

WHY YOU LITTLE... ::whips out trusty scythe:: DIE!!!!!


	2. chapter 1 can't think of a title

**Disclaimer**: See the prologue

**A/N**: Wow, only three weeks since the last chapter!

_This has gotta be a record for you..._

Actually, it is.

_No comment._

Also, I messed up. The Ichiraku owner is only 43. Bleh, no matter. I'll just give him an extra 20 years!

Teuchi: "WHA-A-AT?!"

_Don't bother. There's nothing you can do about it._

Teuchi: ::mumbling to himself:: "No respect, that's what you get. No repect..."

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**Code-o-rama**:

Blah: narration

**Blah**: emphasis

"Blah": speaking

'_Blah'_: thoughts / mental speech

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All was still within the target's house. Everyone else was already out. _'Perfect!'_ The kunnoichi thought. Her victim would never know what hit him! She crept along the hall that led to the sleeping quarters, staying within the shadows. There was the door to the target's room. _'Careful, now. Careful...'_ She reminded herself, slowly sliding the shogi screen aside. Her objective was fast asleep, having surprisingly not moved during his sleep. _'Guess that's why he's so restless when awake...'_ She mused silently. No matter. Five feet to go now... Four... Three... As she neared her objective, she readied her weapon. Two... One...

"WAKE UP, SLEEPYHEAD!"

With a yelp, Naruto fell out of bed.

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"Sheesh, Aya-nee! Why'd you have to wake me up like that?" asked Naruto, once he was seated at the breakfast table. Since coming to Hidden Root, he'd been given a much more traditional fare than his usual ramen. In this instance, steamed fish, natto(1)—though why they still bothered trying to get him to eat the foul thing was beyond him—and jook(2).

Ayame, seated across from him, grinned. "I just love teasing my favourite cousin!"

"Shyeah, right. I'm your only cousin, and a second cousin at that," the blonde youth grumbled.

"So? You're still my cousin, and it's my duty as older foster-sibling to make your life a living hell!" The girl that used to pass herself off as a waitress stated imperiously.

'_Why the hell did I want a family, again?'_ Naruto wondered to himself. As he had just finished his meal—natto not-withstanding—and was taking his plates to the sink, Ayame caught him in a brief, yet tender hug as he passed her by. _'Oh, yeah...'_ He thought as a soft smile came to his lips, _'**that**'s why...'_

"C'mon, Naruto! Nanami-baa-san's waiting for us, and you don't want her mad at you for _this_ training..."

The tousle-haired boy shivered at the thought of displeasing his grandmother.

When he had first been introduced to the Tsukikage, leader of Hidden Root Village, he'd approached the situation in his usual manner. Namely, making a pest of himself so people **couldn't** ignore him. Therefore, the first and most logical step was irreverence towards the figure of authority; in this case, the aged woman in light blue _Kage_ robes sitting at the desk across from him. Thus he'd started things out by not adressing her, but rather the Ichiraku owner who stood at his side, asking him who the 'Baa-san' was. When the old woman opened her mouth, he'd expected an angry statement concerning his impudence, yet instead got:

"Exactly that, Naruto-kun."

"Eh?"

"I am your grandmother, on your mother's side."

It had gone on downhill from there.

His mother, Nakami, had been the Lady Tsukikage's only child. Like a few of the shinobi from Hidden Root, she had elected to join the ranks of the ANBU that was common to both Hidden Leaf and Hidden Root (though the Hokage and those ANBU were the only ones amongst the 'Sun-Siders' that were in the know). There, she had grown close to a fellow ANBU squad-member, Kazama Arashi(3). Eventually, it turned into a mutual love, and with the blessings from their respective leaders, they married, and Nakami was soon with child.

That happiness was short-lived, though, as Kyubi soon started attacking Konoha just as Nakami's pregnancy was coming to turn. On the night of the final defeat of the fox demon, Kazama was killed while helping the yondaime perform the jutsu that eliminated the vulpine menace. Nakami, deep in the throes of labor at the time, weakened drastically upon receiving news of her beloved's death and subsequently died giving birth to Naruto.

When he had questioned his new-found ancestress on the matter of the 'Sun-Siders'' ill-feelings towards him, he had been told that it was not a good idea to be fed all the information at once, and that for the time being he should ponder on what he had already been told. When he came to terms with that, she would pick up the narrative again.

"Naruto-nii-chan!"

He was abruptly brought out of his thoughts as two seven year-olds barreled into him, knocking him to the ground. It was the twins, Yoake and Yuugure, Ayame's younger brothers.

"Come play with us!" They demanded of him in perfect sync.

"Aww, guys!" Naruto whined, "I can't today. I've got special training with granny, and if you keep this up I'm gonna be late!"

The two brown-haired boys gasped in appropriately frightened awe, and hurriedly got off their foster-brother. While a mild-mannered and patient woman at (nearly) all times, when angered Nanami Uzumaki was a force to be reckoned with.

Divested of his two impromptu training weights, Naruto got up, and leaned down towards his two youngest relatives. "Tell you what, though. Soon as we're done, I'll be back home to help you practice your shuriken throwing, OK?"

"Pinkie Promise?" The two younger boys asked, in stereo as always, holding aforementioned digits.

"Pinkie Promise," Naruto assured them, shaking each hand in turn, "Now you two better run back home, and fast!"

"Why?" Was the Dolby Surround question.

"Cuz' I can see your instructor approaching, and he doesn't look too happy with his new hairsty..." Naruto didn't bother finishing as the two pranksters, with a chorused 'eep', had left in a cloud of dust towards the Uzumaki Mansion.

He had to snort at that last. Imagine! Here in Hidden Root, the Uzumaki Clan was one of the most ancient and respected ones, having produced two of the village's three TsukiKage, his grandmother being the one currently in office. When walking the streets of the village, instead of the angry glare that he garnered daily on the surface, here in the bowels of the Earth he got seasy smiles and polite nods of greeting.

Six months of this treatment had done wonders for his diposition. So much so that it had only been a week till he stopped complaining at the exclusively physical training Aya-nee dispensed him with. In retrospect, he had to admit that the training had done wonders for his physical prowess, his Taijutsu and Shuriken and Kunai handling skills now on a par with his foster-sister's. And she was a Special Jounin!

And today, his grandmother would induct him into the use of Hidden Root's special brand of Jutsus, the thought-legendary 'Night' jutsus.

The blonde boy grinned happily as he raced down the street after his foster-sister, towards the TsukiKage's tower.

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"Ready Naruto?" his grandmother asked him seriously.

"Ready." He assured her in a similar tone of voice.

His grand mother nodded to her two companions, her brother Teuchi and his granddaughter Ayame. The three were in a triangle around Naruto, the only illumination in the room coming from the lit candelabra that were disposed behind each of them so their shadows bissected over Naruto's feet.

In perfect synchronisation, the three performed the same set of hand-seals, including the secret 'Bat' seal, known only to this village, and shouted in unison "_Kage Yougo_!(4)"

Slowly, their feet sunk within their own shadows, as did Naruto's. He was calm though, for he had already been briefed on the process. They would enter the _Yami Sekai_(5), the only place where you could be formally taught the Night Jutsus, as, in essence, they all relied upon what that world was made of. And to use it, you had to become one with it first...

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(1): Fermented soy beans, and an element of the traditional japanese breakfast. Though nowadays very few japanese actually **like** the thing.

(2): This one is from North China and Mongolia. Basically, it's rice that has been cooked for so long it has become a homogenous paste. Though the texture is rather odd, it's pretty good. ( _Don't ask us how it's pronounced, as we haven't the foggiest._ )

(3): I **think** that's the supposed name of the Yondaime Hokage.

(4): Shadow Merge

(5): Dark World

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**Fun Name Facts**: 'Ayame' is 'iris' (the flower). 'Nanami' means 'seven seas'. 'Nakami' **should** mean 'inland sea'. 'Yoake' means 'dawn', while 'Yuugure' stands for 'dusk'.

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**Answers to reviews**:

**Stonebridge**: Thanks! I'll try!

**Kimba**: Aw, gee! You're making me blush! Concerning the yaoi thing: as much as I am a fan of the genre, somehow I find trying to include any kind of pairings in the Naruto universe rather futile. They're only 12 after all! Slight crushes, yes; full-blown sex, I find hard to believe. Besides, it would impede the flow of this particular story!

**Nonengel**: Well, it wasn't exactly soon, but at least I updated, ne? _'Bout time, too..._

**Snag**: Right smack dab(sp?) beneath Hidden Leaf. It's hidden beneath the roots of those selfsame trees the leaves of which hide Konoha.

**Chief316**: I'm afraid I'll pick back up on the Naruto continuity in one-and-a-half virtual year's time. I'll **try** not to be just rewriting the mange from that point on, but I won't promise anything. _The original point was to have Naruto go through his adventures, but with a new peculiar jutsu arsenal and a mellowed personality. We'll see how it goes..._

**Izumi**: Ask, and ye shall receive! _Albeit with a **slight** delay._

**Dragonsrose4**: And here's your update! A fellow fanfic author friend of mine has got this thing for bringing the 'underappreciated secondary characters' into the spotlight, and I guess whatever bug she's got bit me in turn. Not that I'm complaining, I think it's fun!

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Well, that's it for chapter one! Some of Naruto's genealogy revealed-

_Though you've probably all already guessed at the other half_.

-and the beginning of Naruto's formal training. This chapter was mostly to establish Naruto's familial situation, as well as a little on his life in his new village, which will account for a gradual shift in personnality.

_You've said too much, dimwit!_

Bah, no-one reads those end-notes anyway!

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See that 'Go' button down there? Press it, and see what happens why dontcha?


	3. chapter 2 how original

**Disclaimer**: See the prologue

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**A/N**: Yowza! It's been such a long time!

_:deadpan: Half a year._

But it wasn't my fault! It's that dang Potter boy whispering in my ear at night, telling me to concentrate exclusively on **his** story, to the detriment of all else! Attention-seeking little-

_You're starting to sound like Snape._

Funny you should mention that… I took a 'which HP character are you?' test recently, and it turned out I'm ninety-percent Snape. There was also that other one that-

_:coughs pointedly:_

:nervously: Ahahaha, but that is neither here nor then, is it?

Also, don't my HP-fic readers worry: I'll still be writing that. I just needed a break, because I realized that since I started the thing, I've been reading practically exclusively HP fanfics. I wanted to shift fandoms a little, is all. :shrugs:

Well, on with the fic!

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**Code-o-rama**:

Blah: narration

_Blah_: Japanese words explained in the lexicon at the bottom (_either that_ _or just onomatopoeia_)

**Blah**: emphasis

"Blah": speaking

"**Blah" **'**_Blah_**': Demon speech / mind speech

'_Blah'_: thoughts / mental speech

—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—

Darkness.

That's it. 'Darkness'. There was no other word to describe the _Yami Sekai_, for whatever there might have been, there was no light to see it **by**. It wasn't the deep shadows of a cloudy and moonless night, either; it was an absolute absence of light.

His companions didn't seem all that inconvenienced by it, though.

"It will take time for you to get used to your loss of sight," his grandmother was telling him from somewhere behind him and a little off to his right, "and you will have to rely on your other senses to get your bearings. It will be at least a week before the Darkness has sufficiently permeated your body for you to awaken your _Ingan_. In the meantime, we will camp here and try not to draw the attention of the more powerful _bakemono_."

The statement just begged the question. "What of the lesser ones?"

Although he couldn't see her face, he could **definitely** hear the sadistic glee in his cousin's answer, from right in front of him. "Those, you'll be fighting with the Taijutsu I taught you. It will keep you in shape and sharpen your other senses."

Why did he have to be related to a training-obsessed sadist?

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It had been three days already, and Naruto found himself rather loathe to regain his eyesight. It wasn't because he suddenly found his other senses that much more accurate, no. Rather, he'd had ample occasion to be in contact with the bodies of the _bakemono_ while fighting them, and the mental images he'd been able to piece together as to their general appearance was at severe odds with Human aesthetics. I mean, what kind of demented god of creation would put a mouth **there**! And what was with the recurring slime theme, anyway? According to his trainers, these were mostly fish- and insect-based creatures, a parody of what existed within their own world. Well, whatever. They were still **weird**!

Also of note was the fact that, from the moment he had first laid foot in this world, he had the nagging feeling that _something_ was watching him. He didn't know what, but it felt powerful. **Very** powerful. But most of all, it felt Malevolent; a concentration of malice and ill-will. And yet, it wasn't directed at him. It just didn't make any sense!

When he'd broached his concerns to his family, silence greeted his statement; before he was told to keep a metaphorical eye on the presence, but never go out of his way to pinpoint it. Therefore, he never went against their instructions, but that didn't prevent him from trying to catch a sense of where it was coming from.

That was when he caught the oddity. Most of the time, 'It' seemed to observe him from afar but, on the rare occasion, it felt like it came from within himself. And that scared him more than he was willing to admit.

Today—though the notion of day and night seemed ludicrous in this world, it was still a way to mark the passage of time—was another story altogether. He felt both the watcher without and the watcher within. _At the same time_.

And not only that, but they seemed to be conversing, for he could just make out a low murmur at the edge of his hearing. If he pushed just a little _there_, maybe-

His mind was suddenly overwhelmed by two overloud, growling voices, both steeped in malice and cunning. He cringed at the volume and his hands went to cover his ears, but it didn't help any. The voices sounded _directly_ _in his mind_!

'**_-to have been sealed up like that… How the mighty have fallen, eh Kyuubi?_**' Kyuubi? As in, the nine-tailed demon fox that attacked Konoha over ten years ago? Just what the heck was going on? What was up with these voices? What-

'**_QUIET!_**' thundered the second voice, the one within, and Naruto's impending panic attack was halted just like that. '**_It seems we have an eavesdropper, Nagatobimaru._**(1)'

There suddenly came a pull from where he had previously pushed, and the blonde boy fell down into a darkness deeper than that of the _Yami Sekai_.

When he finally came to, it was to a _drip-drip_ sound. The first thing he noticed was that he was lying in a shallow pool of water. Then came the realization that he could **see **said pool of water. He scrambled to his feet and looked around cautiously, senses alert for any disturbance. He appeared to be in some kind of man-made underground channel, if the brick walls and metal pipes were anything to go by.

Making his way forward, it soon became obvious that he was in a type of maze. He took random turns as he came to various intersections, left, straight, right, right, left, straight… He didn't know where he was going, nor could he retrace his steps due to the flooded state of the channel, yet he wasn't worried. Something told him he was nearing his destination, whatever that may be. As he went, he started to hear a low-pitched growl, which only grew louder and louder until it abruptly cut off as he stepped in a huge chamber. In front of him stood a gigantic barred gate, held closed by a mere strip of paper with the kanji for 'seal' calligraphed on it.

"**So, this is your vessel? Gotta hand it to that Hokage, he had a certain flair for irony.**"

Naruto whirled to where the voice had sounded from, his time in the _Yami Sekai_ having sharpened his senses enough that he could immediately pinpoint its origin, and gaped at what he saw there.

Floating a foot above the flooded ground was an orange-furred feline creature. Its entire body was framed by the wild mane of orange and black hair that grew from its head, and its hind legs resembled that of a large four-legged predator's. Its front legs, though, would be more accurately referred to as clawed hands. Stripes of black fur adorned its cheeks, three to each side, not unlike his own scars.

Then came its eyes. They were white. Pure white, without even a hint of an iris nor a pupil. And gazing lower, a grinning mouth filled only with pointed fangs could be seen. That settled it.

"_Bakemono_!" Naruto growled, subtly moving into a ready stance.

The creature laughed harshly.

"**Very good, kid! But you can drop the battle stance. We both know that if I wanted to fight you, you'd be already dead, so spare yourself some grief.**"

It hurt to admit it, but the creature was right. He could barely hold his own against a centipede-monster, there was no way he had a chance against a… "Tiger?' he questioned.

The monster nodded. "**Correct. But this is not why you were called here.**"

"'Called'?" he questioned, "You summoned me here?"

"**Not I.**" the creature replied dismissively.

'**_I was the one to call you here,_**' came another voice from the direction of the gate, and he turned warily towards it, all the while keeping an eye on the tiger-monster. However, he completely forgot about the white-eyed creature when he beheld what resided beyond the gate.

A demented, fanged, giant cheshire grin was the first thing he saw. And as if that wasn't bad enough, a pair of slanted, red-tinged, slitted eyes was staring unblinkingly at him. Dimly, he could make out a tail waving lazily to the left of its head. '_No wait, it's further to the left… no, it's to the right of the hea- There's more than one!_'

That's when it all fell into place.

"Kyuubi!" He cried out in surprise, awe, bewilderment, and not a little fear.

'**_Settle down, brat! We've got a lot to discuss with you…_**'

"Discuss? DISCUSS!" he was nearing hysteria, he knew it, but he didn't care, "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD, YOU OVERGROWN FURBALL!"

"**Kid's got spunk, I'll give him that,**" idly commented the tiger-monster, leaning back in mid-air, as if in a lounge-chair.

'**_And tell me, brat, how is it I would have died?_**' the fox demanded.

"My father and the Yondaime performed a high-powered jutsu to destroy you, something they paid for with their life!" Naruto affirmed, proud to have regained some of his frayed self-control.

"**True, and yet untrue at the same time.**" The tiger supplied.

"Are you calling me a liar, or something?" Naruto ground out through gritted teeth.

"**Oh, no. What you just said is composed of true facts; yet put together the way you have, it is incorrect.**" The tiger purred, clearly enjoying himself.

"Then why don't you explain it to me, if you're so smart!" The blonde shot back, anger overcoming all previously-felt emotions.

'**_SILENCE!_**' roared the Kyuubi. '**_Nagatobimaru, stop messing with his head. Brat, listen well: Your Yondaime could not defeat me, so he decided to Seal me instead. However, a normal Sealing method into an inanimate object would have been insufficient. Therefore, he sealed me into a newborn baby: You._**"

"_Masaka_…" Naruto whispered, before shaking himself, "You're a liar! The Yondaime would never do such a thing! My father wouldn't let him!"

'_**And what if the Yondaime **was** your father?**_' Kyuubi went on, relentlessly, '**_What if he was ready to sacrifice his own son to save his village?_**'

Naruto fell to his knees with a splash, mumbling '_uso_' over and over again.

"**Get used to it, kid,**" the tiger said, in a somewhat less gruff voice than previously. "**You're stuck with Kyuubi, and Kyuubi is stuck with you.**"

"But… How…?" the blonde stuttered, before finally crying out, "WHY!"

"**Don't ask us to understand the workings of the minds of you _ningen_…**" drawled the tiger.

Naruto took a few minutes to try to process all that, but finally decided it was all too much at once. So he put the conundrum on the back-burner for the time being, and focused on smaller details instead.

"What's all that got to do with you?" he asked the tiger.

'**_He's an old ally,_**' quietly said the Kyuubi.

The tiger snorted, "**'Old ally' my furry ba**-"

"Hang on, hang on!" The blonde said with upraised palms to halt the conversation. "You," he pointed to Kyuubi, " a demon from the _Hikari Sekai_, are allied with a _Yami Sekai Bakemono_? How did you two meet?"

'**_Easy enough: I originally come from the _Yami Sekai_. It was through a failed contract-less summoning that I came to be in your world. I went to seek the help of those from Hidden Root to return to my world, but the Hidden Leaf Nins took one look at me and immediately assumed I was there to attack them. That's when it all went pear-shaped…_**'

"Are you trying to tell me that some **moron, **unaffiliatedwith Hidden Root, tried to summon one of the most powerful creatures to inhabit this world?" Naruto growled angrily, though it was directed to whoever the unthinking, misdirected, suicidal fool was.

'**_In a nutshell: Yes._**'

"Who? The madman must immediately be hunted down! If he did this once, he can do it again!"

'**_Never learned what his name was…_**' the Kyuubi replied with a dismissive shrug of its gigantic vulpine shoulders. '**_Smelled a bit like a snake. I trashed his lab something good, though,_**' there was a definite smirk in the fox's voice now. '**_I don't think he'll be ready to re-enact his experiment any time soon._**'

"I'll still need to inform the village… Alright, next question: Where is 'here' and why can I see? Are we inside my mind or something?"

"**Got it in one! Give the kid a cigar,**" cracked the tiger, Nagatobi-something-or-other."**No wait, he's underage… Give him some Pocky!**" he finished, laughing at his own joke.

'**_You are indded within your own mind_**' the kyuubi answered, ignoring Natoga… Tomi… —'_Gaah! I'll just call him Tora!_'(2)—Tora's sad attempts at humor, '**_specifically, the portion that's been my abode for the past ten years._**' Then, as if in an afterthought, '**_Oh, and I love 'Tora'. It suits him._**'

"**Hey!**" annoyedly growled the newly-dubbed tiger.

'_You can hear me._' It was more a statement than a question.

'**_Being in this world has strengthened and enabled me to communicate with people outside of my cage, after a fashion. I should also be able to communicate with you when you are awake._**'

'You mean I'm asleep?'

'**_A false sleep that enabled you to come down here. Incidentally, the Darkness will most probably have finished permeating your body, as this state speeds the process. It's time for you to wake up though. We shall speak again._**'

"**See ya 'round, kid!**" cheerfully called Tora.

There was a burst of darkness, then he was awake. And he could see!

He surveyed his surroundings and cringed a little as he realized he had been quite right as far as the minor _bakemono_s' anatomy was concerned. Looking further away, he noticed he was in a rocky clearing devoid of plant-life. What struck him, though, was that the colors were all reversed: the sky was a deep red, the rocks were a light purple… even his normally orange jacket was affected, having turned a mild midnight-blue. '_Well, at least now I know why it's called the_ Ingan_…_' he mused.

—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—+—

**Lexicon**:

_Bakemono_: Ghost/phantom/monster, according to my dictionary; I guess the best way to read it is as 'monster'. If you know the anime 'Ushio & Tora', that's what I'm talking about (also encompasses the monsters seen in 'Inu-Yasha').

_Hikari Sekai_: World of Light. Naruto's home world.

_Ingan_: contraction of '_inga_', which stands for negative (in the photographic sense), and '_gan_', which is how the kanji for 'eye' becomes pronounced—by itself, it is read as '_me_'—when attached to other kanji, such as in the word 'ophtalmology'(_ganka_).

_Masaka_: Impossible! That can't be!

_Ningen_: human(s)

_Uso_: (a) lie

_Yami Sekai_: World of Darkness, a dimension that runs alongside Naruto's own world.

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**Notes**:

(1): From _Ushio & Tora_, this is Tora's—the tiger demon—true name. He will be making other appearances here, as I love that anime too much to just leave it completely out of the Naruto universe.

(2): The nickname Ushio came up with for his partner, litterally means 'tiger' (from the previously mentioned anime).

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**Answers to reviews**:

: I have a great liking for Irony… Thus I came up with this: Naruto, child of Light, but living in the Darkness; Sasuke, child of Darkness, but living in the Light. Kind of like the Tao: Light in the heart of Darkness, and Darkness in the heart of the Light. As to a blood-limit, here you go! _Though, naturally, not all its uses have yet been revealed…_

**nonengel**: Meh, I'd have gotten bored fast otherwise… That's why I'm probably gonna fast forward straight to the genin exam, as per the manga-continuity.

**Keltosh**: Hmm… I still don't think I'll be doing any pairings for this fic. _And if he did, it would most certainly **not** be when the protagonists are still pre-teens._ Oh, and would you be willing to work as a beta? I always have a need of one, since english isn't my native language, and so tend to make some culture-related mistakes.

**UltraAnimeFanatic**: Heheh, will do!

**Akki no Tama**: Ach! I haven't reviewed your own fic in such a long time! _Shameful…_ Sorry, I'll try to get back into it, as you've been doing such a wonderful job with it. Concerning the Ocs, they're absolutely necessary, as each of them has a very precise role to play fro my plot. Otherwise, I self-edit and spell-check, but many inconsistencies still manage to slip through… :sighs:

**Eve**: Why, thank you! And here's your update. _Better late than never, I suppose…_

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**A/N**: Perhaps not the _best_ place to leave off, but… :shrugs:

Next up is Harry Potter, and then I'll try to rotate between updating the three current fics.

_Though in all honesty, it'll depend entirely on inspiration. Fickle mistress that it is…_

Right-o! Anyway, please review!

_How original…_

Well, reviews really **do** make a difference to the author, y'know!

Also, don't hesitate to point out my mistakes, as there are probably many.

Till next time, folks!

_Whenever that may be._


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